Model Railway

Ever seen the hustle and bustle of a busy Brisbane port and the lush tropical rainforest of Kuranda at the same time? Or the city suburban scene and the harsh Queensland outback? It's all here with the largest model railway of Queensland anywhere in the world, with miniature trains to boot!

Specific geographical elements include the Brisbane suburban network, a Container port, the Darling Downs wheat district, the Central Queensland coalfields, the North Queensland sugar district, the Kuranda tourist train and Outback Queensland.

Brisbane suburban network

Every day, tens of thousands of people travel by train to work or school, to go shopping, or to visit friends or relatives. Brisbane's electrified suburban network operates more than 700 services each day.

Rail is a very efficient means of public transport: it can transport large numbers of passengers quickly and reliably.

Container Port

Each year hundreds of thousands of freight containers are transported by rail to and from Queensland's coastal ports. Large gantries are used to lift containers to and from trains and ships.

Containers are an efficient means of moving goods between rail, road and sea. They are used to transport all types of goods including cars, machinery, groceries, furniture and fruit and vegetables.

Darling Downs wheat district

The Darling Downs district is Queensland's main grain growing area. When grain is harvested, it is taken by truck to large silos or storage facilities adjacent to a railway line. The grain is then transported by rail to mills for processing or to wharves for export.

Central Queensland coalfields

Each year, millions of tonnes of coal are extracted from large open cut mines in central Queensland. Most coal is exported overseas, and some is used in local industries such as power stations and mineral processing industries.

An extensive rail network links more than 30 central Queensland coal mines to port facilities on the coast.

North Queensland sugar district

The Queensland coast is the centre of Australia's sugar cane industry. Here sugar cane is grown mainly on family farms. When the cane is cut, it is usually hauled by train to the mill. Most sugar mills operate their own rail network, with a 610 mm (2 foot) gauge which is narrower than the 1067 mm (3 foot 6 inch) gauge on rest of Queensland's rail network.

Kuranda tourist train

The Cairns to Kuranda rail service is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Australia. Each year, hundreds of thousands of tourists travel the route, enjoying spectacular views of lush tropical rainforest, deep gorges and waterfalls.

Outback Queensland

The rail network is a vital part of many outback towns. Rail is used to transport passengers and goods to and from cities on the coast.

Livestock and wool are two of the main commodities transported by rail from outback Queensland.

Livestock trains are used to carry cattle and sheep to meat-works on the coast and also to ports for export overseas. Queensland is the only state in Australia where livestock continues to be transported by train.